TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - The contribution of material analysis to the identification of forged writing materials N2 - This paper addresses the role of material analysis in the current discussion on the authenticity of unprovenanced fragments. It will show that material analysis alone, especially its non-destructive variety, cannot prove that the object is genuine. The best material analysis can do, after all appropriate tests have been conducted, is to announce that nothing has been found that contradicts the assumption of genuineness. Moreover, the results of the material analysis can never be used as the only justification of authentication in cases of composite objects such as manuscripts or epigraphs. The most effective approach for testing suspicious artifacts has been established by forensic science. Not limited to non-invasive analysis, this approach relies on validated techniques that usually require the extraction of samples and comparison with reference materials and are capable of delivering unambiguous results. In contrast, the analysis of suspicious manuscripts has to overcome additional obstacles such as the heterogeneity of historical material, the scarcity of suitable reference standards, and restriction to strictly non-invasive techniques. We discuss the reliability of the testing protocol based on the non-destructive multi-instrumental approach developed by the BAM for the investigation of writing materials. In the case of the DSS, it relies on comparison with the genuine DSS fragments studied over the last 10 years. T2 - SBL Interenational 2017 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 07.08.2017 KW - Cultural assets KW - Forgery PY - 2017 AN - OPUS4-43481 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Material analysis: authentication or forgery detection? N2 - This paper addresses the sensitive issue of authentication of the un-provenanced manuscripts of high monetary value if certified to be genuine. Over the last decade the popularity of material studies of manuscripts using non-destructive technologies (NDT) has increased enormously. In the case of suspicious writings these studies are held in especially high esteem due to the methodological rigor they are reputed to contribute to debate. Moreover, audiences from a humanities background often tend to disregard the technical details and treat any published interpretation of instrumental analysis as an objective finding. The paper will discuss the currently available methods and testing protocols for writing materials stressing the advantages and limitations of the non-invasive analysis. As an example we will consider the recent announcement of the possibility of non-invasive dating of carbon inks focusing on the validation required for a testing method. We will make clear that material analysis alone cannot prove that the object is genuine. We should rather adopt the effective approach for testing suspicious artifacts that has been established by the forensic science. Here, not the authentication, but the determination of the forgery stands in the focus of the work. T2 - SBL Annual Meeting 2017 CY - Boston, MA, USA DA - 18.11.2017 KW - Cultural assets KW - Forgery PY - 2017 AN - OPUS4-43483 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Davis, K. A1 - Rabin, Ira A1 - Feldman, Ines A1 - Krutzsch, M. A1 - Rimon, H. A1 - Justnes, Å. A1 - Elgvin, T. A1 - Langlois, M. ED - Hempel, C. ED - Zahn, M. ED - Jokiranta, J. T1 - Nine dubious “Dead Sea Scrolls” fragments from the twenty-first century JF - Dead Sea Scrolls Discoveries N2 - In 2002 new “Dead Sea Scrolls” fragments began to appear on the antiquities market, most of them through the Kando family. In this article is presented evidence that nine of these Dead Sea Scrolls-like fragments are modern forgeries. KW - Dead Sea Scrolls KW - NDT KW - Forgery KW - Papyrology PY - 2017 DO - https://doi.org/10.1163/15685179-12341428 SN - 0929-0761 SN - 1568-5179 VL - 24 IS - 2 SP - 189 EP - 228 PB - Brill CY - Leiden AN - OPUS4-42869 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -